MOTHER MERCY

Mother Mercy is Newcastle’s hidden bar underneath The Old George. It’s perfect if you want to escape the busy Bigg Market. 

To find it, go into the Old George Yard where you can find a blue door leading you down to a cellar cocktail bar. We loved the table service and we are making our way through the cocktails. Our favourites are: East 8 Hold Up (like a Pornstar Martini, but better), Marshmallow Fizz 2.0, and the Pinwheel. They also have a Twist of Fate Option, where you can get a mystery cocktail and fill up the stamps on your card to win prizes.

Opening Hours: 

Monday - Closed 

Tuesday to Thursday: 5pm to 1am 

Friday to Saturday: 5pm to 2am 

Sunday: 5pm to 1am 

The Old George Yard 

44 Cloth Market 

Newcastle 

NE1 1EE 

PUREKNEAD BAKERY

We popped into the newly opened PureKnead Bakery in Dean Street on our way for a walk to the Quayside.  We can’t wait to try the sourdough which they use traditional methods to bake and testing out their bagels for lunch. The orange and dark chocolate cookies went perfectly with a cuppa. I can see this being one of our favourite stop offs on the way to the Quayside.

PureKnead Bakery 

38 Dean Street 

Newcastle 

NE1 1PG 

 Opening Hours: 10 till sell out, Wed to Sat

CARSON'S CAFE BAR

   

Have you been to Carson's yet? It has recently been refurbished as a woodland theme cafe / cocktail bar. Although we have only sampled the cafe drinks menu, (the iced coffee was the best one Georgia has ever had in her three years up North), we are planning to go back for cocktails and tapas. If you are after a glass of wine, cocktail or coffee this is the perfect local place to catch up with family and friends. 

Opening Hours & Address

Monday to Saturday: 9.00am to 10.00pm (times may vary so check prior to visiting)

Carsons Cafe Bar

91 Front Street 

Chester Le Street

DH3 3BJ

BACKYARD BIKE SHOP

If you would like brunch or a coffee stop with a different view of Newcastle’s Quayside and right under the Tyne Bridge on the Gateshead side, the Backyard Bike Shop is the perfect spot. It is a great place for cycle enthusiasts or for a break whilst discovering the Quayside. The Backyard Bike shop also serve the infamous Dot Bagels. We both had the simple sausage bagels, which were so filling and tasty. The staff are also really lovely and service was great.

It is located in the shipping container community BY THE RIVER BREW CO, on the Gateshead side near the Swing Bridge, directly underneath the Tyne Bridge. The nearest Metro station is Gateshead Metro, which is approximately a 10 minute walk, or if you already are on Newcastle Quayside it’s a stroll or cycle over the Swing Bridge. 

Opening Hours and Address 

BIKE SERVICING: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm 

CAFE: 9.00am to 5.00pm Weekdays 

9.00 to 4.00 Weekends 

Outside seating also available. 

BACKYARD BIKE SHOP 

Hillgate Quay 

Gateshead 

NE8 2BH 

WORKSHOP ENQUIRIES

info@backyardbikeshop.com 

07519 098963

KING COLE SCULPTURE & THE WHEATSHEAF INN

The King Cole Sculpture can be found on the C2C (sea to sea cycle route), which is a 140 mile path opened in 1994. It runs from Sunderland to Whitehaven on the former Stanhope and Tyne Railway line, which closed in 1985. 

We started our walk at the Wheatsheaf Inn, Durham Road DH3 2AB and ended it back in the pub garden for a refreshing drink. We hope to come back to taste something from their menu next time. 

The sculpture designed by David Kemp was unveiled in 1992 (coincidently finished on the 15th October, when they announced the closure of the last pits in Durham). The sculpture was made from the dismantled Consett railway bridge and old kiln bricks with British Coal providing the crown. We enjoyed a refreshment break sitting behind the statue looking out over the landscape to Penshaw Monument and the coast.

CENTRAL ARCADE

This elegant Edwardian shopping arcade was built in 1906. Hidden in the centre of town, it has three entrances and doesn’t take long to walk through but the glass barrel-vaulted roof and tile work, including the floor is well worth a visit. There are some small shops to visit so take 5 minutes to have a wander through next time you are in town.

The triangular building is bounded by Grainger Street, Grey Street and Market Street and houses 18 shop units.

THE TYNE BRIDGE

The Tyne Bridge is the most iconic of the seven bridges across the Tyne linking Gateshead to Newcastle. Built in 1928 the bridge was built like a ship, using shipbuilding techniques with rivets and panels which were welded together, taking three years to finish. It symbolises home to me and never fails to bring a smile when it comes into view.

At the time of its construction the Tyne Bridge was the world's longest single span bridge and was officially opened on the 10 October 1928 by King George V. The Tyne Bridge's towers were built of Cornish granite and were originally designed as warehouses with five storeys. But the inner floors of the warehouses in the bridge's towers were never completed and, as a result, the storage areas were never used. Lifts for passengers and goods were built in the towers to provide access to the Quayside although they are no longer in use. The Tyne Bridge Towers are regularly opened to the public as part of Heritage Open Days, which take place in September each year.